12.7.09- Day 200

Oh Monday. We got a little more snow, but not enough for a snow day, alas. I made it through the day, but am still feeling under the weather (getting out in the 6 degree weather can't help). Alan captured Nigel and I in our position for basically the whole evening (in the office watching TV on the futon). I would like to give a shout out to my dear husband who has been taking VERY good care of me the past few days. He even got me Indian food at the grocery store for dinner tonight. Thanks, babe! In other news... My computer got fixed today!!!! (I think I may have neglected to mention it had a nasty virus). One of the special ed secretaries fixed it for me. Yay! Well, I'm off to bed to try and sleep off this bug. I'm crossing my fingers for a snow day tomorrow (I'm a fool, I know).

12.6.09- Day 199

Today=SICK. I didn't really sleep last night. It was so weird. I felt fine all day and evening until right before bed. Then, I developed a fever and had a really sore throat. Alan woke up early too and got me some Tylenol. I finally got a bit of sleep in the morning. I've just been relaxing all day. I don't think I've gotten up more than three or four times. I feel a little better when the Tylenol is in full action. Overall, I'm just tired, achy, and stuffed up. Sinus infection? Maybe netti-pot will help. In other news, they announced at church today that instead of buying the old Linens and Things building, we are buying the old Stapleton hanger. It's such a cool building and its only two blocks down from where we currently meet for church. I'm really excited about this because it will keep the community/neighborhood feeling that makes the church what it is. Below is a pic of the hanger, but it has been renovated and now there are houses and businesses close by. (I think this pic is from before they started developing Stapleton.) In other news... it has been snowing all day. I'm really hoping for a snow day tomorrow so that I don't have to make the decision about whether to try and attempt work or not. We'll see what happens. Send up a prayer for me!

12.5.09- Day 198

Lazy Saturday...
Slept in, went to workout, cleaned the house, got ready for the Parade of Lights. The Parade of Lights is the Christmas Parade in Denver. The windchill was below 0! Unfortunately Sarah and Nicole took most of the pics on their cameras, so this is the only one I have from the night. Sarah and Carissa look cute though! I'll try to post the rest when they put up the pictures. After the parade, we went to Panera for dinner and to warm up. Then we went back to our house to hang out. Unfortunately, I think the cold got to me because as soon as everyone left, I started feeling really bad! At least I had a little fun before getting sick. Hopefully I can recover before Monday.

12.4.09- Day 197

After working hard all day... preschoolers and an observation, I went to Sarah H's birthday party. It was fun to celebrate and catch up with friends. After everyone left, Sarah, Nicole, Carissa, and I reminisced our old JBU days. Sarah has a ton of scrapbooks that she made while we were in college. It was such a fun time of life. It's also crazy that all of us have been friends now for 8 years! This pic is from sophomore year when we went to KC to see Reliant K in concert. It rained the whole time, but we toughed it out! Good memories.

12.3.09- Day 196

Several things to post about...

First of all:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!
I love you very much and miss you! You have been such an example in my life of how learning and faith are so closely tied together. You have taught me about hard work, following God's calling on your life in every stage, critical thinking, and I have learned a corny joke or two from you :). I was always a daddy's girl and in many ways we're so similar. I hope I can be like you "when I grow up."


Second:
I finally went to 24 hour Fitness! I was just too busy earlier this week to make it, but I went tonight after Alan left for work. I ran for a half hour, then lifted weights for a half hour. I can't currently lift my arms above my head, but other than that- I feel great! I did finish off the evening with a bowl of fudge brownie icecream (good thing my goal at working out is not to lose weight- hehe). I saw my pro-fitness competitor co-worker at the gym. I bet I will see her there a lot as she was still working out when I left and I think had been since she got done with work (it was around 8 when I left). Crazy! She is quite beastie though :).

My new designated gym bag (from the Panerathon last year)

Third:

Gotta love Denver.... this picture explains it all. I'm sleeping with the space heater on tonight!

Fourth:
Alan and I are celebrating Advent this year by doing daily readings each night and lighting the advent candles. We are using World Vision's advent calendar. We just have it on our computer as a pdf file. If you want me to email it to you, just comment with your email address. It does promote some of world vision's projects, but it is nice because it has a global focus. See my little advent display below.
It has been really good so far to focus our minds on what this season is about and be intentional about waiting for Emmanuel to speak to us. Tonight there was a quote that really stuck out to both of us:

"Active waiting means to be present fully to the moment, in the conviction that something is happening where you are and that you want to be present to it."

So often I get in a hurry to plan my future and take action. I forget that God has a plan for my life and that plan is not 20 years later, that plan is NOW. The moment that I am living in is part of God's plan for me. He is using this moment to shape me, to be with me, to create new life in me.